Managing hematologic toxicities

This overview of the hematologic toxicities of cancer chemotherapy addresses the frequency and clinical significance of neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia and attempts to provide evidence-based guidelines, based on clinical trials, for the use of cytokine growth factors and transfusion support. The current emphasis on high-dose and dose-dense chemotherapy increases the need for close attention to the amelioration ofhematologic toxicities. The latter is highly dependent upon the appropriate and judicious use of cytokine support. Although these supportive agents may be relatively nontoxic, it is important to understand their potential side effects and to use them only when warranted by evidence-based studies.